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Here's the early release version - not SteG4s yet! I'm taking a break from adding those as I want to spend a night or two doing some painting - 2 day tournament next month and maybe moving back the UK too so time is short.

Please download them and give me some feedback, I haven't done any playtesting of these yet, but just as soon as I am located somewhere with some hope of staying there more than 12months, I will be doing that. In the meantime any help is appreciated! (you will get your name in the credits, and you know that will make you popular with the ladies! )

No background or reasoning fluff in this post as it is all in the dex with some ideas for where it might go next (TODOs at the end).

Thanks in advance

Simon

No comments, nothing? Was it that bad?

Here's an updated version with a SteG4 and KT-4 Wolfcub (still not sure on the points for this one)

Its not bad at all, it just needs a bit of TLC.
type up some famous PDF battles from the 40k background, like the Damnos incident.

And use that ******* spellcheck!!! It's infuriating!!

I've gone through a couple more changes since ths version here but haven't posted them yet, looking for a way to include good looking apoc formation sheets.

Will recheck the doc with the spell checker again! So many ideas and such slow fingers!

I think its a good well thought out army. But im just a little confused on why you chose to make a fan made generic army. Like most fan made armies ive seen are usually really unique, as in their may only be one of them in the whole 40k universe. But a planetary defense army is more generic in that there are many of them just like iG. Why not make a specific planetary defense army, like come up with a made up back story for it an everything. Then you could make it stronger than IG b/c there is only one of them, otherwise generic planetary defense armies just seems like they should be a weaker but identical version of IG. Not to stifle your creativity or anything the rules and everything look solid and it certainly is a unique idea, even if the army is not.

Here's the latest revision with some new stuff.

@darkcloud92

Why generic? Simply because I want to put out there something others can use to make PDF armies, it's not just my personal view of one PDF. I'll write the back story for my armies at a later date, as I want to tie together all my armies in one setting. I certainly don't want something stronger than guard, that wouldn't fit the fluff at all, and would be over powered - guard is strong enough as it is. It is a weaker guard army, but hopefully some of the new vehicles, weapons teams and wargear options make this something a little different. As with all IoM lots of units appear similar to others but are subtly different, with common weapons and vehicles spread over 8? codices that's just the way it is.

I feel this is like saying "Yo dawg I herd you wanted to field a PDF 40k army so I put the PDF list in a PDF so you can field one."

Honestly though, your Armor Values are almost negligible.

LavuranGuard wrote:Here's the latest revision with some new stuff.

@darkcloud92

Why generic? Simply because I want to put out there something others can use to make PDF armies, it's not just my personal view of one PDF. I'll write the back story for my armies at a later date, as I want to tie together all my armies in one setting. I certainly don't want something stronger than guard, that wouldn't fit the fluff at all, and would be over powered - guard is strong enough as it is. It is a weaker guard army, but hopefully some of the new vehicles, weapons teams and wargear options make this something a little different. As with all IoM lots of units appear similar to others but are subtly different, with common weapons and vehicles spread over 8? codices that's just the way it is.

No no no you misunderstood me. An I misunderstood the intent of your codex. So if I understand correctly you are making a Codex for planetary defense forces that anyone can take an then manipulate into their own specific planetary defense force? An when I was referring to them being better than IG all I meant was that if you were to instead of making a generic planetary defense force codex, make a planetary defense codex for your own made up planetary defense army that you could then have an excuse to make them stronger than as listed on this codex. But thats irrelevant b/c your not making a specific planetary defense codex, you want to make a codex that encompasses every planetary defense force as a standard, yes?

why does the Govenor cost so much? am I missing something?

the Commissar doesn't seem very helpful. needs a way to not get stabbed in the first melee he gets into. being an Independant Character seriously deters that survivability.

Auto-Pistols for any trooper? I dunno, seems unlikely. maybe if it were forge workers who picked up whatever they could use to kill the enemy or something but for a psuedo-professional army it seems unlikely.

I like the trucks, perfect for the PDF but I think it would be good if they weren't much of a threat to people if they exploded as there are going to be a lot of exploding trucks. S3 hit for passengers and S2 for those caught in the blast? the fuel they use is likely smaller in quantity and milder in volatility (is that a word?).

I like the rest of what you've made but I don't anticipate the chance to make an army where I pick up handfuls (truck fulls) of casualties every turn.

also...
Police Bikes even though police only use pistols and shotguns
Riot Shields as Defensive Grenades? won't stop a Lasbolt or Beserkers Axe but could give you a bit of distance.
how about if they're in a building they're Stubborn? won't make a huge difference since thier Leadership is so low to begin with. I want something to represent that they have some sort of homeground advantage. traps, infiltrate, maybe that rule that the Tyranids used to have where they could pull in wave after wave of new troops when one dies so having all those dudes and thier trucks isn't such a waste.

just throwing little things out there.

@The Zoat, Pimp my Rhino! Yes armour values are low because the PDF stuff is weak in the fluff, but for the tanks it's only a little lower than IG Russes IIRC. I'm seeing this dex giving people allies for Apoc games as much as being standalone, so you can bulk out heavier stuff with Marines or IG.

@darkcloud92 yes that's it, a template dex for others to make specific armies, just like the IG dex where you can use it to make Cadians or Catachans etc.

@Lotet because he comes with some nifty friends who are expensive.

The Commissar is probably not a melee monster in the PDF list, he's more there to stop people running away - see the low Ld of the PDF.

Autopistols was something someone suggested as a way of getting a squad equipped for close combat (CCW + pistol). Personally I'm not going to use that option but it's there for those that do want to. Fluff wise maybe it's the cooks and bottle washers being given a pistol and some tool of their trade (carving knife, wheel brace etc) and heading into combat.


Police bikes/shields is cool - maybe that's part of the Arbites stuff? Not sure if I will include those or ally in another codex. Some good ideas there though!
Exploding trucks, is that any more deadly than exploding Raiders for DE? That's my main army at the moment and I can't say that exploding is a big problem, you just need to spread out a bit more and accept your transports are fragile. Would love4 to hear more thoughts on this though.

Agree with the casualties thing though, you'll need a fair few models. I'm planning on converting toy soldier trucks $0.99 each to keep the cost down and then using my IG to bulk out the infantry squads.

but you can get the same thing as the Governor in a Company Command Squad for 77 points. switch Shotgun for Lasgun/Laspistol and add an attack. they shouldn't be any more than that.

and Commissars are a permanent attachment to any squad they join so he couldn't be singled out in melee. people drop them in a big mass of infantrymen (speaking of which, where's the "Combine Squads" rule?and his re-rollable Stubbourn Ld9 lets him tarpit anything he comes into contact with. you commissar won't help much, I'd rather just get more PDF than pay for one Political Officer.

also that talk of civilians in combat reminded me that a lot of folks don't get the opportunity to wear Flak Armour. but this is the PDF, they can afford it... well, probably.

oh yeah, and with the whole unending (till the end of the game anyway) it could let you get reinforments on a 4+ during your next turn then 3+ and so on, like reserves.

The AT-70 seems a bit overpriced...

I like it... it's one of the few fandex not vastly overpowered... Personally I think that the governor is a little overpriced... and that the extremely low AV of the vehicles is unjustified... I'd make all the vehicles at least AV 10 except for the "jeep".

I like very much the idea of arbites squads! I'll wait for upgrades! Keep your nice job!!!

@Lotet, I'll go back and relook at the PVs. I was working back from the IG dex using Stormtroopers as a base for the Palace Guards IIRC. PVs are something in general that need to be adjusted, the ones I've used so far was based on stuff in a given dex, minus a bit for less options, rules, stats etc. I need to fine tune those after play testing, but I'll take a good look at the gov's price.

Commissar is not a permanent attachment in this dex, I should probably add that rule somewhere. Good spot!

I did say that the PDF use the IG force org options rather than explicitly state them, maybe I should list the IG rules that apply here too?

It's not so much civillians, but more support troops and REMFs being forced into combat due to losses, last stands etc.

Unending could be good, will have to try that out, thanks.

@Hlaine Larkin Mk2, quite possibly, many PVs need tuining after play testing.

@punkow Thanks I find it funny people keep saying the armour is low - only the jeep and the planes are less than 10 and this is because the Lightning has 10 all round and these plans are less well armoured according to the fluff. I don't know but as a DE player lately, armour 10/11 feels pretty standard to me, if you mostly play marines or IG I guess it feels low.

Although not a planetary guard army per say, I was thinking of making a pretty cool army based off of your codex. Idk if you have ever read the Horus heresy series, but in the novel Galaxy in Flames Horus has various space marine legions battle on Istvaan III. The opponent of the Space Marines were some pretty awesome foe with cool abilities and various types of different units, such as Warsingers. So I was thinking of taking your codex and using it as a skeleton sorta frame for my spin off army. Technically the Istvians are not Planetary Defense force, but they are pretty close and led by the Imperial Governor.